History of John Smith Griffin
page 6

School Days 1918-1921

Two doors to the north lived a Mrs. Mc G Grath. She was a widow and lived alone with a parrot. She was a kind old lady and we used to go over and listen to her parrot talk. I used to say very plainly "Polly wants a cracker" and "Hello". Mrs Mc Grath would keep her parrot out on the back porch and it was not long before it began imitating the whistle of Dr. Morrell. It became so perfect in its imitation that on many occasions Woody would go tearing home only to find out that his father was not even at home. Woody remained one of my close friends through high school and my first year at college. We both went on a mission at about the same time and when we returned we went separate ways. I have not seen him for about 20 years.

Some of my other close friends in the neighborhood were Jay Heiner and Merrell Tribe. Jay is presently in the insurance business in Ogden, and Merrell is a Lieutenant Colonel in the army about to leave for Germany (1951).

It was a big event in my life when I graduated from grade school to Junior High school. I attended Central Jr. High School located on 25th and Adams Avenue which is now a part of Weber College. A Mr. D.H. Adams was principal of the school and had a reputation of running the school with an iron hand. Boys with who he had trouble would be called to his office and during questioning he would stick a pencil into their ribs. I know this of my own knowledge. Looking back on Junior High school it seems that I was always in difficulty of one kind or another especially during the first year. Later I got to know "D.H." as we used to call him, quite well and shortly before I left Junior High to go to high school he told me that some day I would be governor of Utah. This remark gave me a lot of confidence in myself and I am sure that this was one of Adams' purposes in making the remark. Although feared by the freshmen that entered Centeral Junior High, Adams was liked and admired by the upper class students and especially by the school's alumnae. When he died, his funeral was held in the auditorium of Central Junior High School in remembrance al all that he had done for the school and the students that attended.

There are two things-that stand out in my memory at junior high school. The first was the procedure followed to open and close school. School would open every morning by a flag raising ceremony. Two honored students would raise the flag on the flag pole while another would sound "to the colors" on the bugle. Every student in the school would stand in his class, salute and face in the direction of the flag pole. School would close in the afternoon with a lowering of the flag and the sounding of "retreat" by the bugler. This impressed me very much and I am sure created a sense of respect for the flag and the country it represents.

One event that I will never forget is an occasion when my "home class" elected me as a representative of the class to the student council. After tabulating the vote the teacher turned to the class and referring to me said "do you really want him to represent you?" I was very embarrased but the class stuck by its vote and I served as a member of the student council.

While I was in Junior high school my Uncle Less (Dr. Leslie A. Smith) came to our house to live. He was working his way through medical school and he had obtained a job in Ogden which paid him a good salary. Mother let him stay there without paying board to help him out and in appreciation he gave me a trombone he used in college. I took lessons on the trombone from a Mr. Nichols (the father of Red Nichols who is now one of the top band leaders of the nation). I was not an apt pupil although I struggled along with it and played in the Central Junior High School orchestra.

page 6

Previous Page   Next Page   Table of Contents